Chapter 16: Revealed



Catherine glided up behind Faith. She’d seen her enter the wetlands and she’d followed her this far. She’d noted the gun hanging to Faith’s side. She noted the pace Faith was walking. She’d noted Faith was obviously still in pain, she had held her stomach many times, she walked almost with a limp. And finally Catherine noted Faith would try but fail to put up a strong fight.

Catherine lurched forward catching Faith from behind. They fell to the ground in a crash of tree branches and water soaked mud.

Catherine pinned Faith to the ground, but Faith struggled against her furiously.
“Stop” Catherine urged, “I needed to get your attention” she whispered gripping the gun in Faith’s hand
“Where is baby?”
“I don’t have him, you have to believe that, it wasn’t me” Catherine released her grip and stood up, offering her hand to the women she’d always despised.
Faith lunged the gun up to point at Catherine’s head.
“Tell me where they are”
“It’s me Faith, you know that, that’s why you’re hear”
“What the fuck have you done with my child?” Faith cried
“You have to trust me”
Faith slowly etched herself from the ground, the gun still pointed at Faith.
“Why should I trust you?”
“Don’t you think I would have killed you already?” Catherine spoke, her voice calm and low - everything had ears, and they shouldn’t stay there any longer
Faith’s grip wavered. Her head spinning in circles, pain enveloping her entire body.

“This isn’t about us Faith, its about Brian, do want to see him or not?”
Faith nodded slowly, exhaustion creeping in
“Follow me, I know where he is”

Faith dubiously followed, if it was Catherine that as doing all of this, how did she know the exact location Faith’s parents died? Why would she take Brian? And Why did she leave Faith with the gun? - but if it wasn’t Catherine, who was it?

“Faith” a voice called behind her
Faith spun around to see a familiar figure running up to her.

“James what are you doing here?” Faith questioned, shocked by his presence
“I followed you from Florida, I figured when the Police came around early on, that something was wrong, then I saw you leaving, I followed you, are you okay?”
“You shouldn’t be here?”
“I don’t think you should either, this place gives me the creeps”

Faith spun around to see Catherine, only to see she was gone.
“Shit has someone taken Brian, is that why the Police were around”
“Go back to your car, ring the Police, tell them Catherine is here and so is Brain and Thomas, get them come as soon as they can, then stay in your car, lock the doors and stay there, okay?” Faith whispered
“I don’t know what’s going on” he replied
“Just do it, please, just go”

Faith backed away from James and searched the surrounding area for Catherine. Catherine stood and knocked the gun from Faith’s hands. It feel to the boggy ground as did the two old enemies. Faith managed to snatch the gun from the ground before Catherine reached for it.

“Give me the gun” she urged angrily
Faith’s fist plowed into Catherine’s shoulder sending her stumbling backwards. Faith stood up to be met with James’ face.

“Is that her?” he questioned
“Give me back my life” Faith screamed as Catherine stood, a meter away, and wiped blood away from a cut lip.

“Give me the gun Faith, give it to me” James pleaded
She looked at him sadly then raised the gun at Catherine.
“Give me the gun, you need to hold your baby” he whispered gliding his hand along the barrel.

He eased it from her hands swiftly but left it pointed at Catherine.
“I am asking you now Catherine, where is my baby?” Faith cried, pain and exhaustion threatening to overcome her
Catherine’s eyes latched onto James’.
“Run Faith, run now” she announced before a bullet tore open her flesh and she fell to the ground.
Faith jumped with the sound of the gun.
“James, she knows where they are”
“Shit Faith, she’s not the only one” he laughed
Faith’s face turned a pale white.
“Boo!” he snickered, “Surprised?”
“No, no” she repeated as she backed away
“Yes, fucking yes. Bet you wanna know why?” he grabbed her arm and jammed the gun into her back “Soon you’ll understand”

He lead her to a run down cabin that was nestled amongst a variety of bushes.

He kicked the door open and pushed her inside. She fell harshly to the floor, banging her head against the spilt wood floor. Her eyes found feet on the floor in front of her.

“Brian?” she cried softly, matching the feet with a face

James yanked her roughly to her feet. She felt a sharp pain between her legs.
“Something wrong sweetie?” James laughed

He plowed but of the gun into Faith’s chest causing her to buckle over with excruciating pain. She was bleeding, stitches had come undone and she struggled for air.

Brian lunged forward from the chair, spilling onto the floor, and breaking the ropes around his arms.

“Don’t fucking move an eyebrow” James spat, pushing the gun to Faith’s temple

Brian picked himself slowly off the floor and yanked off his gag.
“Faith. Are you okay” he whispered, her eyes searching for any sort of response

“For fucks sake James, she just had a baby, you fucker” Brian screamed
“No shit Sherlock” he smirked, “Like I said, stay fucking put”

“Just let her and Thomas go, please, they shouldn’t be here”
“You think this is about you? Oh right cause you the hot superstar. For fucks sake, if this was about you, don’t you think I would have killed you along time ago, I mean, I’ve had ample opportunity. No this isn’t about you, this is about Faith, and the ransom price she needs to pay to forgiveness of sins”

“What are you talking about?”
“I don’t expect you to understand Brian, but Faith here knows, don’t you. This quaint little road wasn’t just a random hideaway was it Faith, this place has meaning. You and me, we know that. That’s why you’re here, I lead here and you knew where to come, you understood.”
“How do you know?” Faith managed to say as she held herself tightly
“Think about it. Five people died on this road 13 years ago, one of those people was Macauley Jamieson. Have we got it yet? For those slow in the head, yes, we share a strangely similar name, Macauley Jamieson, James McCaughly, no its not a coincidence. He was my big brother, I was 6 when you fucking father killed him. That’s why you’re here Faith to pay the same price as I had to. I’ve waited 13 years for this, and now, I have it, I have the chance at repayment”

It sunk in quickly for Faith. She understood the pain, she now understood how someone knew of this place and she realized now the target and the reason for it all.

“I lost something that night too, I lost my parents, I want answers just as much as you. But my father never killed your brother, it was a accident”

“No, you’re father was drunk, he hit them head on” James shouted
“My father wasn’t driving, my mother was and she was pregnant, she didn’t drink anything that night” Faith cried, “please just let me see my baby”

A cry came from the door in front of them. A soft slightly muted cry - a babies cry.
“Please James, let me see him, let me take him home”
“No, I don’t believe you. It was him, and now, I’m taking away your family” he screamed flipping the gun towards Brian and squeezing back the trigger. The shot rung through the walls and Brian collapsed to the ground. Faith screamed and pulled forward as a second shot blasted though the air.

James fell forward the bullet of a second gun slicing through the back of his neck. The gun slipped from his hands as he body jerked in response to the sudden loss of air. Faith crawled to Brian’s side, his hands over the entry wound just above his heart.

“Can you walk?” a voice behind questioned
Faith looked up to see Catherine standing over her and James in a pool of his own blood at her feet.
“You need to get out of here, Brian needs help” she announced her arm saturated with her own blood.
“Why?” Faith cried, overwhelmed with conflicting thoughts
“It was always about you and me Faith, not about Brian or his child”

The sound of sirens sounded in the distance.
“Get your baby, and cover Brian’s wound with something”
“You need help” Faith spoke, pointing up to Catherine’s arm
“No, they’ll lock me back up, I wont go back there”
“You saved us”
“No, I saved Brian, and his son. I don’t care much about you” Catherine said calmly, she would never let on that a part of her finally began to feel for Faith and to understand her plight to simply be in love and happy.
“Well thank you, if there’s anything I -”
“Don’t tell them which direction I went in, I can handle everything else”

Catherine fled from the house and disappeared into the rising dawn.

“Get Thomas” Brian whispered, his hand gently touching Faith’s face.
She nodded and burst through the second room. In the center of the room in a tiny crib lay their child, cold hungry and upset.

Faith held him tightly to her chest and cried softly into his hair.
“It’s okay baby, mommy is here”

The End




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